Tiny Dancers.

After watching the junior session of the 2013 Secret Classic, there was something that I noticed amongst this exciting crop of up and coming gymnasts. Not only is there a lot of talent, but there are a lot of performers. These gymnasts pay attention to detail and actually sell their routine instead of just going through the motions. The routines below are something special because they not only draw the crowd in, but they make you want to keep watching them! They have a great sense of musicality which makes them easier to remember, in my opinion. I like that all the moves are right on beat! The USA gymnasts aren't particularly known for their artistry, so I think it's fantastic that we have a group of girls coming up that are great dancers and know the importance of putting on a show for the audience.


This routine won Laurie Hernandez the gold medal at Classics. In an interview with Gymcastic, Laurie's coach Maggie talked about Laurie's choreography, saying  "It's a little bit different, it's a little bit flashy, it's a little sharp and aggressive. I think her style is perfect for her." Dancing is something that obviously comes natural for Laurie, but I really enjoy how she takes her routine and the definition of artistry to the next level. Laurie's coach strives for perfection while working with her gymnasts and it really does show when she's out on the floor. "Every position that they are in, it should be on the cover of a magazine."




The daughter of 1988 Olympian Brandy Johnson, Sydney first caught everyone's attention at the 2013 Nastia Cup where her sassy and fun floor routine was broadcasted in front of a national TV audience. (This routine has almost 40,000 views on YouTube.) One thing I love about Sydney, is that when she's performing she uses facial expressions that make it impossible to take your eyes off her. In our interview with Sydney, she said "I've always loved to dance, even as a baby. My mom would put on all kinds of music and I would dance around the house!"



Emily Gaskins has a style and elegance to her that we usually don't see in USAG, which is refreshing. Emily is a very elegant gymnast and the confidence she performs with is incredible for a first year elite. Her routine resembles a ballet dance, which is something different than any of her other competitors.  I can't think of anything else to say other then this routine is stunning to watch.



Amelia is not one of those kids who is super flexible or graceful, but she is a great dancer for being a more powerful and tall gymnast! Amelia did competitive dance when she was younger and I think that shows when she is performing. Amelia told Gymnastike that "I love doing my new floor routine, I love performing it. Hopefully I'll feel more confident about it at Championships and I can perform more."



Please check out our videos for the USAG montage contest and vote if you enjoyed ours!

Ashlee's video: https://www.facebook.com/USAGymnastics?sk=app_214224245382377&app_data=0acff9c0-2dac-49ca-9a07-47c81060b6ef

Brittany's video: https://www.facebook.com/USAGymnastics?sk=app_214224245382377&app_data=82428ea0-c311-495a-8252-d617b16314b8

2013 Secret Classic

For being the year after the Olympic games, I was impressed with the difficulty level and amount of unique skills being thrown at this competition. Although there were a lot of falls and mistakes, this is only the first meet in the summer elite season and I'm sure Nationals will go a lot smoother.

Photo Credit: Triple Twist Gym Blog

In the junior session, it was great to see all the up and coming talent and future stars of USA Gymnastics. As many expected, Bailie Key of Texas Dreams won the all around title despite being sick and almost withdrawing from the all around competition. CGA's Amelia Hundley took 2nd, while Texas Dreams Nica Hults took 3rd. Some highlight routines were Laurie Hernandez and Amelia Hundley on floor and Norah Flatley on beam. Laurie literally lights up the arena when she's on floor and Amelia had a phenomenal routine that was very clean. I also want to give a shout out to the other Monmouth girls, Jazmyn Foberg, and Ari Agrapides. It was their first major elite meet and they did well. Agrapides, who won the American Classic a few weeks ago is fantastic on vault..she scored a 15.100. Foberg just missed qualifying to Nationals by 5 tenths, but she along with her teammates have a great style and such an elegant look to them. I was also extremely proud of Vanasia Bradley and Sydney Johnson Scharpf, my two favorites that had yet to qualify to Nationals. They both easily qualified with scores of 52.950 and 52.550 respectively. Vanasia actually went into the last rotation in 7th, but a fall on bars put her into 16th in the final standings. For her first elite meet on podium, after a shaky start to her elite career, Vanasia did very well.

Photo Credit: Triple Twist Gym Blog

In the senior session, there were mistakes coming from almost everyone, but again the skills being thrown almost make up for that in my opinion. Simone Biles, who many expected to win, had a very rough meet. Simone had a fall on her first 3 events and withdrew from vault in the final rotation. Simone did have a really good floor routine though, all the way up until her last pass. I think it's one of the best we've seen from her besides for the fall. Abby Milliet also really stood out to me, she has gorgeous lines and is fantastic on bars and beam. Even though she fell on beam, she still managed to score a 14.200 and place 4th. Doing the mental math, Abby would have easily placed 3rd had she not fallen on beam. Of course, as everyone knows, Kyla Ross and Mckayla Maroney were in attendance. Kyla won the all around with a 58.650 and that was counting a fall on floor. Maroney as expected won vault, and placed 3rd on floor. Another thing everyone should take note of is Lexie Priessman. She's the reigning junior National Champion and started her senior career out a little rough, but she really pulled through and had a great meet here! Lexie didn't do the all around because she hurt her ankle, but props to her for getting it together and having a great meet. Other girls that impressed me were Brenna Dowell, who showed several new skills at this competition and Mykayla Skinner, who didn't have a great all around competition, but she threw some difficult skills that the crowd loved and placed 2nd on vault after nailing a cheng and a double twisting yurchenko.

Overall, I still think this was a great meet. We enjoyed watching it live and I applaud all the girls (mostly in the senior division) for performing in a pressure filled situation with obnoxious screaming fans, freaking out every time Kyla or Mckayla moved. I found myself getting distracted by the noise so I can't imagine what the gymnasts were going through.

You can watch all the routines I mention above here and here.

You can check out all the photos we took from the meet here. Just make sure that if you use a photo, you give us credit.

If you want to hear about our experience as fans, you can read those stories here and here.

World Team Predictions- USA

With the new quadrennium under way, it's an exciting time in the gymnastics world. This is the time where many new faces emerge and decisions are made from the stars of the past. With two returning Olympians and several new faces that show tremendous potential, creating the perfect four member World team will be a difficult task for the national team staff. Here are our picks for the 2013 United States World team.


Simone Biles
A name that seems to be appearing on everybody's world team prediction is Simone Biles. If Simone can avoid injury and stay consistent in these next few months, she is most definitely a lock for the USA team. Simone currently holds the highest all around score out of every gymnast this year, with the 60.400 she posted at Jesolo, which proves that she is a true all around contender. Simone could also contend for a spot in the vault and floor finals and could easily medal if she hits.



Kyla Ross
Many people have doubted Kyla's ability to keep up with the talented gymnasts this quad, but I think she still has a fighting chance with her clean routines and capability to hit under pressure. Luckily, Kyla has plans to upgrade her bars, beam, and floor...making her a strong all arounder as well as a bar and beam specialist.



Brenna Dowell
Brenna has been super impressive lately during the national team training camps, showing some upgrades and winning verifications. Brenna is certainly flying under the radar. I think Brenna could be used as a beam and floor specialist, but she is also great in the all around and could challenge for one of those two spots.



Mckayla Maroney
If any spot is up for grabs it would be the fourth and final spot. I think there are a few gymnasts that could be chosen but I personally think Mckayla Maroney has a great chance at making the worlds team for her vault alone. Since this is an individual worlds, it doesn't really matter if Mckayla is ready on the other events, her vault is obviously still amazing and up to standards. Putting Mckayla on the team would guarantee the USA a vault medal and possibly a floor medal if she decides to compete floor this year. Plus if Mckayla debuts the triple twisting yurchenko, it will be named after her in the code of points would be a pretty big deal.

Routines I Could Watch All Day (Literally)

Shannon Miller on beam

This is one of my favorite routines EVER. Not only does Shannon make the beam look easy...but in a weird way, it sort of looks like fun! In my opinion, this is one of the best balance beam routines of all time. There are hardly any routines that contain the beautiful artistry and execution that Shannon Miller possessed.

                     

Courtney McCool in general

I have thought about this for a while. If I had to pick one event of Courtney's that I loved the most, what would it be? I adore McCool on beam... then again, I love her bar routine too... but what about her floor??  I guess the only conclusion I can draw from this is that I loved Courtney McCool as an all around gymnast. Her attention to detail, from the tips of her fingers all the way down to her toes, IS PERFECTION. So Courtney McCool gets a little shrine in this post, since I can't decide.

                   

Like the commentators mention, her form and execution is phenominal. McCool gives the judges very little to deduct from.


                  

My favorite thing about this routine is the unique mount. I also really enjoyed the dance elements. You can watch any routine of Courtney on beam and she rarely made a mistake. It's incredible. I really wish they would have used her in the team finals at the Olympics!

                   

THAT TRIPLE TWIST. Look at the form...look at the landing! Now that is how you nail a triple! I would seriously like to dedicate my blog to Courtney McCool's triple twist.

One more thing I just thought about...why is Courtney always wearing that leotard? Like, how many times did the U.S. use that in international competition? 2003 World's, 2004 American Cup, 2004 Olympic Trials, 2004 Olympics, 2007 Pan Ams. I'm probably missing some.

Anyways...

Shawn Johnson on beam

In my eyes, Shawn Johnson will always be the queen of the beam. I know a lot of people would like to argue  that, but there is something about the way Shawn Johnson competed every single time that made her unbeatable. She literally attacked the beam every time she got on it and there is no denying that. She rarely made a mistake and always preformed with confidence. That's why I've always enjoyed watching Shawn.

                         

Ivana Hong on floor

Mainly because of that first pass and her ending pose. Need I say more?

            

Dominique Moceanu on floor

Even though I was only a baby when this happened, Dominique Moceanu's floor routine from Atlanta still makes my list! Dominique had an infectious smile and a personality that shined on the floor. Her routine is something that the crowd can get into and the song choice was oh so appropriate for Atlanta, Georgia!

                

A lesson every gymnast should learn...

In August of 2012, Savannah Scherling shared the story of her gymnastics career with everyone on this blog. (Click here to read it.) After dealing with ongoing injuries and having several surgeries, Savannah has retired from gymnastics, but she has learned an important lesson that she will take with her for the rest of her life. There is more to gymnastics then winning medals and learning the trickiest skills, gymnastics can teach you life lessons too. Below is something that Savannah wrote about what she has learned from gymnastics and I wanted to share it with all of you.

Savannah with 2004 Olympians Courtney Kupets and Courtney McCool

If I could only tell you one thing I've learned from gymnastics in the past ten years, I wouldn't tell you why it’s important to give it your all everyday. I wouldn't tell you why you should always listen to your coach or why you should never miss practice. I've learned to let go of everything. Winning a few meets, or even JO Nationals, doesn't make you a better person. It makes you an athlete with more titles to add to your collection. It doesn't make you more important than the athlete who took second, or even the girl who took thirty-sixth. The most valuable thing I've learned from gymnastics is that it’s only the first chapter of my life. It’s true for any athlete competing in a sport similar to gymnastics. Your body can’t hold on forever and eventually you won’t be able to do it anymore. It may seem like the end of the world, but you have the rest of your life ahead of you. I've realized that it’s important to accept what the sport has given you for so long. The day you’re forced to give up the sport may be when you’re twelve. You might make it until you’re sixteen. If you’re really lucky, you’ll be able to train into your early twenties. The quicker you embrace what you've gained from being apart of this sport, the quicker you’ll move on. There’s no point in sitting in the past. As long as you remember, nothing is ever really gone. You can hold onto the memories forever. Eventually, you’ll lose the sport, but you won’t lose what you gained from the sport. Most athletes can agree that their sport has changed their life. At the same time, some people get way too caught up in winning. A young gymnast isn't going to be more successful ten years down the road just because of victories. While it may be hard to comprehend, none of it will matter. It won’t matter where you trained, what scores you got, or even how many meets you won. When you’re interviewing for a job in your late twenties, they’re not going to care how many times you qualified to regionals. They’re going to look at the person you are, the education you received, and how you applied it to your life. Giving up a sport that you've been apart of for your entire life is extremely hard. It may be the hardest thing you've done thus far or it might be the hardest thing you’ll ever do. You have to accept that there’s always new opportunity out there. Whether your career ended due to your body being done, or even your heart, you’ll move on. Speaking for myself, I’ve learned that being injured was the best possible thing that could’ve happened to me. After two ankle surgeries and finally having to retire from gymnastics, I’ve gained so many things that I’ll carry with myself for the rest of my life. I now know how to look at and situation from all aspects. You can let an injury define yourself, bring you down, or you can embrace it as a part of you. Sometimes you’ll defeat the injury, other times you won’t be able to. The person that I’ve become over the past few years means more to me than winning ever could. I think I’ll be more successful in the end because I’ve learned to accept when you’ve had enough of something. By being put in gymnastics as a little kid, you’re going to have some success, but you’re also going to have those days when nothing is going right. If you can look past the imperfections in your beam routine, that’s success. Some people say that you’re only as good as you’re last competition. I say that you’re as good as you let yourself be on any given day. When you walk into the gym for practice, you’ve already decided what kind of day you’re going to have. It might not be easy to see, but deep in your heart you know whether you want to be there or not. If you truly don’t want to be there, it’s time to let go. This sport isn’t always about having the highest all around or having the most colleges after you. Some athletes are in the sport for the right reasons, because they love gymnastics. Other athletes do it because they want the titles, the recognition, or the awards. With gymnastics being a sport typically participated in by young people, it will eventually catch up to the athletes doing it for the wrong reasons. Sometimes it’s not fair, the most deserving athlete may be sidelined or sick. It’s part of the sport, but at the end of the day, the person you are means so much more and I can honestly say that I’ve become a better person since being injured.

Follow Savannah on Twitter

Everything you need to know about the 2013 Secret Classic

Photo belongs to USA Gymnastics

When

Saturday- July 27th

Juniors- 1pm central, 2pm eastern, 11am pacific, 7pm greenwhich
Seniors- 6pm central, 7pm eastern, 4pm pacific, 12am greenwhich

Where

The Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois

How you can watch: 

USA Gymnastics will be streaming both sessions live. (Click here) The stream is available for free, world wide and will include at least 70% of the meet. They will also be streaming podium training. All routines will be available on USA Gymnastics YouTube channel (here) directly after the meet. You can thank the gymternet god Scott Bregman for making all this happen! (Follow him on Twitter)

Who to follow: 

You can follow these twitter accounts for live tweets and updates from inside the arena. (If you will be attending the meet and plan to tweet updates just let me know and I'll add you to the list!)

USA Gymnastics

Gymnastike

Lauren Hopkins and The Couch Gymnast

And of course, us at Triple Twist

Who is competing:

Click here to view the full roster.

Why the meet is important:

The Secret Classic is the final opportunity for gymnasts to qualify to the P & G National Championships in August. Juniors must score a 51.50 in the all around to qualify to Nationals. (Which means they must score at least a 12.875 on every event.) For the seniors to qualify they must score a 54.000 in the all around. (Which means they must score at least a 13.500 on every event.) The Split Leap has a list of girls who have already qualified to Nationals. (Click here to view.) All the girls in pink have already qualified and will use the Classic as a warm up meet for Nationals.

One to watch- Alex Marks

After stumbling upon a few old training videos of junior elite Alex Marks, I'm deeming her one to watch in the next few years. Alex is 15 years old and trains at Bart Conner Gymnastics in Norman, Oklahoma. After dealing with several injuries and sitting out all last season, Alex is back to full strength and recently qualified to the P&G National Championships as a junior elite. If Alex can put these skills in her routines, she will definitely be a contender! (Take note of the beautiful lines and form.) Alex will graduate high school in 2016 and has a full ride scholarship to Oklahoma!

Double Pike-back pike


Back handspring- full twist


Standing full-sissone

  3 1/2 twist


Yurchenko Double


Front aerial-side somi


Full pirouette-Tkatchev and jaeger


  Full in dismount


Watch Alex's floor routine from the Parkette Elite Qualifier